Page 100 - How To Answer Interview Questions (II)

Job Interview Question 49

Is there any question I haven't asked you that I should?

This question makes me want to use humor to answer it. Smile and say, “I think you
should ask me ‘When can you start?’”

This is a great time to ‘close’ for the job. If you don’t know what closing is, it’s a sales
technique for sealing the deal. When you close, you are at the ‘rubber meets the road’ point where
they’re either in or out, and you need to know which.

If you say, “I think you should ask me when I can start,” and they smile or otherwise indicate that
they are thinking along those same lines, then you know you’ve done a good job in this interview.

If they start briskly backpedaling, you know they are leaning toward going with someone else,
and you should say (with surprise), “Oh, that doesn’t sound good. Is there some reason you wouldn’t
move me forward?” This gets them to tell you what problem or doubt they do have, and you might
have a chance to address it and resolve it right there, and possibly save your job offer.

This is a great opportunity to plug any holes you might have in your discussion about your
experience or fit for the job.

If they haven’t asked you about something that you know would impress them, now’s the time
to bring that up. Make this a great story that is quantified and demonstrates your value. Your story
might also be part of your attempt to eliminate their doubts about hiring you.

Tell your story using theSTAR format:

Situation or Task (Set up the story—what happened? What was your goal?)
Action (What did you choose to do and why?)
Result (What happened as a result of your actions? Quantify this wherever possible.)

Everything I’ve said so far, though, assumes that you’ve already gone over your 30-60-90-day plan
in your interview. If you have not had a chance to discuss that with the hiring manager, now is the
time:

“I think you should ask me how I would approach this job and be successful in my first 3 months,